Sunday was an emotional morning for Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas and running back Terrell Jennings.

The two, who grew up together and were high school teammates at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Fla., were mourning the loss of Douglas’ uncle, who died Saturday night.

“He was with us. This whole morning was hard,” Douglas said. “As people came up to me, I tried to try to keep – I can’t even think. I just tried to be a man, and I just had to put my head down. I just know he was with me, and he was with...

The New England Patriots truly are back. Not only are they competing for the top seed in the AFC again, their quarterback is (usually) playing at a high level, and their defense is keeping opponents in check on a weekly basis, they are also at the center of controversy again.

Well, that is at least according to the Atlanta Falcons.

Following the two teams’ meeting on Sunday, which was won by the Patriots with a final score of 24-23, the Falcons voiced their frustrations about a specific play in the fourth quarter. Facing a 2nd-and-10 on the New England side...

The New England Patriots stayed in the win column on Sunday, celebrating a sixth straight W to improve to 7-2 on the year.

Here is who caught our eye for better or worse upon live viewing the 24-23 victory.

Winners

WR DeMario Douglas: It was an emotional day for Pop Douglas after losing his uncle on Saturday. Playing in his honor, Douglas led New England with four catches for 100 yards and a score — the yardage marking a career-high. His touchdown came with Josh McDaniels taking advantage of a Falcons defensive tendency, where starting Douglas in the backfield...

Every week, it seems a different receiver goes off for the New England Patriots.

In Week 9, it was DeMario Douglas.

The third-year wideout had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in a thrilling 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Douglas’ 17-yard touchdown came in the first quarter, and he was one of five Patriots with multiple receptions in the win.

Add him to the list of Patriots taking steps forward this season, fellow wideout Kayshon Boutte among the others. Those two, along with Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, have helped turn the unit into a...

The Patriots’ rushing attack held up fine Sunday without Rhamondre Stevenson.

New England’s top back missed the 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a toe injury. He was ruled out days before the weekend, so it long was expected that TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings would see increased roles.

Both made good use of the uptick in responsibilities. The rookie Henderson paced the team with 55 yards rushing across 14 carries, adding 32 yards receivinging on four receptions.

Jennings recorded the lone touchdown on the ground, finishing with 35 yards on 11 carries. He had one catch for nine...

Parker Romo set out to avenge his release from the New England Patriots on Sunday, and ended up falling short in devastating fashion.

The 28-year-old kicker put together a strong camp earlier this year with the Patriots, but lost out to Andy Borregales — who New England had used a draft pick just months earlier.

He would secure the Atlanta Falcons’ kicking job in a big way, ultimately supplanting longtime incumbent and another one-time Pats depth kicker, Younghoe Koo, in the process.

But with Atlanta down 24-23 in the fourth after a Drake London touchdown, Romo missed right on the...

A 17-yard completion from Drake Maye to Hunter Henry sealed the New England Patriots’ sixth straight victory on Sunday. But despite icing the game with the ball in his hands, Maye left the field knowing things needed to be better.

“I’ve got to play better for this team down the road,” he said. “I think it’s tough, it’s tough in a game where you win and you can feel in that locker room that these guys know we can play better.”

In total, Maye finished 19-of-29 for 259 yards and two touchdowns — the first coming on a throw in...

It wasn’t their prettiest performance of the season, but the New England Patriots improved to 7-2 with a 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Following back-to-back blowout victories, the Patriots faced a steeper test in Week 9. They committed two turnovers and nearly watched a 14-point lead evaporate, but former New England kicker Parker Romo missed a potential game-tying extra point in the fourth quarter.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the rocky performance in his post-game press conference.

“It’s a funny league,” Vrabel said. “We’re gonna learn from winning so that we don’t have to learn from...

Even though there is plenty of room for improvement, the New England Patriots kept their win streak alive against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. Their 24-23 victory was their sixth in a row and improved their overall record on the year to 7-2 — tied with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos for best in the AFC.

And yet, they fell down a spot in the playoff picture from the second to the third seed. Why? Because Denver managed to defeat the Houston Texans 18-15 to draw even with New England and its 4-2 conference record. The difference in...

Update (11/2): Christian Gonzalez gives positive injury update after exiting Patriots vs. Falcons

Even though he left for the locker room in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 24-23 win over the Falcons, Christian Gonzalez was back on the field for postgame handshakes and later talked to the media. He gave the all-clear during his press conference.

“It’s two big time players fighting for the ball. He came down with, but I’m glad we got the win,” Gonzalez said about the play that ended with him leaving the field. “I just landed on my head. Just have to be...

The clocks fell. The New England Patriots did not.

A 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons followed Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where the closing minutes saw the streak extend to six games.

Here’s a glance back on the 1 p.m. ET kickoff as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side moves into November with a 7-2 record.

Maye goes from two touchdowns to two turnovers

A smooth start did not end there for Drake Maye. The Patriots quarterback completed 19-of-29 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers against the Falcons.

Breaking the huddle in “11” personnel, the offense’s...

The New England Patriots did not play a clean game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, but in the end they did just enough to survive with a final score of 24-23. Their sixth straight win improves their record to 7-2 on the year and keeps them well-positioned heading into the back half of their schedule.

Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.

Moment No. 1: Popping early

The Patriots started the game against the Falcons well, producing a quick three-and-out on defense before marching straight down the field for their...